The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1887-03-24
PEPlTo'S LITTLE FAT PIG.
Luckily, the Oven Was Cool Instead Of
HOt-StOry of Two Mexican Children.

HOt-Story OF Two Mexican Chudren.
Pepito and his baby brother, whom
they called Dos-dientcs or Little Two.
teeth, were playing in the shade of the
young cottonwoods growing along by
the ditch. Pepito was patting out thin
cakes of the adobe mud just as he had
often seen his mother pat out corn
cakes. A fiat, sloping rock was ut the
waters edge, and on this he laid each
cake to bake in the hot sun. And as
each cake was laid on the rock, Do
dicntes showed his two little new teeth,
and prodded the cake with fat fore
finger. Now this Pepito did not like.
'.Keep your finger off," he said.
"They can't cook right if you puncl,
them full of holes"
'Papa!' cried Do-dientes. It was
his first and only word, and he had
first said it not for his Papa, but for
papas, for SO the Mexicans call potatoes,
And. potatoes, when boiled and mashed
and mixed with goats milk, were what
Do-dientes liked best of any thing.
"Pa-pa" said Pepito after him.
''Dos-dientes, you're always squealing
for papas just like a pig. You're fat
enough for pig. anyhow"
Then Pepito thought all at once,
what a nice plump pig Dos-dientes
would make to roast. For Pcpito was
cook. And SO he said, coaxingly:
"Good little brother, come and be a
pig and let me roast you, and l will
give you these two cakes.''S
Dos-dientes took the cakes and Pepito
lead him to the family bpke-oven. This
stood little way from the house. 1t
was shaped like an old-fashioned bee
hive, only much bigger, and was made
of adobe mud. In baking. fire was
made in it, and it was heated all
through. Then the fire was raked out
and Che bread set in. The opening was
then closed with board and the bread
left until baked.
Some cedar sticks were lying around.
With them Pepito made believe to start
a fire. Then he rakcd them out, and
said to Dos-dientes:
at is ready. Crawl in now, good
little pig, and be roasted"
The good little pig had been watch
ing, sleepily, for it was growing to-
wards noon and his nap time. He
crawled in and, lay down. And in a
minute he was fast asleep. Then Pep
ito leaned the board over the opening.
and while the pig was roasting he went
off to finish his cakes.
Noon came and dinner time. Pepito
went in for his bowl of mush and milk.
His mother saw he was alone and said:
"Why, Pcpito, where is the baby?"
PepitO was confused. For busy in play
he had forgotten all about the roasting
pig.
II don't know!" he said at last.
"Oh! what boy" his mother said.
"Tell me quick. Did you let that little
angel go about the Rio?"
But Pepito couldn't say. Then every
body left their dinner and ran down
along the Rio river. crying: "Dos-
dientes, o Little Two-tecth, where are
you?" And not one thought to look in
the oven.
But Pepito stood and thought harA
And like fash he remembered.
"Hc's in the oven, = he cried out. ~
was roasting him for pig"
His mother ran and took down the
board. And there, sure enough, he
was. sleeping sweetly in that cool re-
treat And on being walked up he
suuealed tOO very much like n real
pig. only live pig. and not roasted
one. Jennie Stealey, in Our Little Men
and Women.